Copy and paste this worksheet as a separate page linked to the Homepage of your portfolio. DO NOT type your answers on THIS document because it needs to be used by other students. The title of your page which replies to these questions is linked to your portfolio and should begin with the first initials of your first and last name. (In my case, the link to this worksheet from my portfolio page might well read frweddingband.)
You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them on time (no later than 12:01am Sunday, January 28). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
- Wedding Band is set in the year 1918 in South Carolina, "a city by the sea" (P.201). In the beginning of the play, the audience is introduced to a scene of three houses with one room of each house visible. Five characters are introduced in the beginning; Julia Augustine (resident of the center home), Teeta (a child from the house stage right), Mattie (Teeta's mother), Fanny (the landlord), and Lula (resident of the home on stage left). Nelson (adopted son of Lula), Princess, the Bell Man, Herman, Thelma, and Annabelle are characters introduced as the play continues. As the play unfolds, it becomes apparent that all of the characters are somehow involved in an illegal interracial affair between Julia and Herman.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
- Although several moments in the play could potentially be referred to as the intrusion, the most recognizable moment is when it is discovered that Herman is sick and his mother is introduced. After this, every event in the play seems to be filled with drama and is ultimately tense for every character. Julia and Herman are forced to face the harshness of their situation head on; Julia and Thelma have a very serious argument, Herman has a mental breakdown, Julia's alcoholic tendencies are shown, and the couple falls apart.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
- The unique factor in the play is the fact that this is the day that Herman comes to Julia's home. It is mentioned that they have typically visited in secret but this day he came to her new residence and in turn brought forth more complication into the play. Because of the year that the play is set in, interracial relationships are illegal in the majority of the United States and once the secret of their relationship is released, the main reason for the play is brought forth.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
- Several questions must be answered at the end of this play: Will Julia be reported and ultimately arrested? Will Mattie and October be reunited? Will Julia and Annabelle reconcile their relationship? Does Nelson survive the war? Can the group of characters grow and learn from this experience?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
-Julia's wants change slightly over the course of the play, however her largest issue of wanting to be with Herman is constant throughout the play. In the beginning of the play, she wants to be left alone and isolated from her new neighbors as she has at every past residence (me v individual(s)). She has internal arguments with herself about this decision as she becomes familiar with her neighbors, though, since she does want to build relationships but is held back by her secret (me v myself). Because of the pressure of society, Julia and her long-term boyfriend Herman are forced to sneak around and keep their relationship hidden for fear of being arrested (me v society). Along with these, she struggles with not only lying to everyone around her, but being selfish as sins against her God (me v God). Later on, she has more issues with individuals after meeting Herman's mother and sister.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band.
- The most theatrical moment in this play is when Herman's mother, Thelma, and Julia confront each other. The pure hatred shown between the two women helps the play advance forward in the main theme portrayed. Despite sharing a sickly loved one in common, the two obviously will never be able to get along and concern themselves with the race war which further complicates the lives of Herman and Julia.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
- The title of the play helps us understand the most important image within the play which is the ring on a chain that Herman gives Julia to indicate that although they cannot be legally bound in marriage, they can at least pretend until that day comes. It helps the audience understand the true love and dedication between the two and that while not accepted by society, they accept each other and that seems to be all that matters to them. Two more obvious images are Julia's hope chest and the boat tickets. The hope chest contains a few items that Julia wants to include in her future wedding, most importantly, she keeps her wedding dress in there. These items are locked away and hidden, however, which symbolizes the status of their relationship towards the outside world. Lastly, the boat tickets represent that while Herman and Julia can move to attempt to escape the prejudice, it will still follow. The boat tickets are for two African Americans and Herman states that he could trade one for a white ticket, but they will still be separate from each other on the boat and will most likely have to share separate things up North as well.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
- There are many themes in Wedding Band, a few of the more prominent themes that I noticed were loneliness, social and racial injustice, prejudice, and freedom. A few smaller themes that could be important are friendship, customs and traditions, and limitations versus opportunities.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
- Wedding Band portrays many different family situations for each of the characters. Lula and Nelson are a close-knit family, though Nelson is adopted and there is no father in the situation. Mattie, October, and Teeta are a family as well even though Mattie is legally married to another man and October is overseas working. Herman, Thelma, and Annabelle are a family even though Thelma is more concerned with their image than the actual life of her son. Lastly, Julia and Herman could be considered a family since they have been happily committed to each other for such a long time. Family is not defined by blood for most of the characters in this play, it is defined by relationship and even race at one point (when Julia refers to Mattie and Teeta as family because they are all black). The play ultimately defines "family" in many different ways and much of the dramatic action is loosely centered around this.
DEADLINE: Please complete all of your work on this play by Sunday January 28 on or before 12:01am.
You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them on time (no later than 12:01am Sunday, January 28). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
- Wedding Band is set in the year 1918 in South Carolina, "a city by the sea" (P.201). In the beginning of the play, the audience is introduced to a scene of three houses with one room of each house visible. Five characters are introduced in the beginning; Julia Augustine (resident of the center home), Teeta (a child from the house stage right), Mattie (Teeta's mother), Fanny (the landlord), and Lula (resident of the home on stage left). Nelson (adopted son of Lula), Princess, the Bell Man, Herman, Thelma, and Annabelle are characters introduced as the play continues. As the play unfolds, it becomes apparent that all of the characters are somehow involved in an illegal interracial affair between Julia and Herman.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
- Although several moments in the play could potentially be referred to as the intrusion, the most recognizable moment is when it is discovered that Herman is sick and his mother is introduced. After this, every event in the play seems to be filled with drama and is ultimately tense for every character. Julia and Herman are forced to face the harshness of their situation head on; Julia and Thelma have a very serious argument, Herman has a mental breakdown, Julia's alcoholic tendencies are shown, and the couple falls apart.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
- The unique factor in the play is the fact that this is the day that Herman comes to Julia's home. It is mentioned that they have typically visited in secret but this day he came to her new residence and in turn brought forth more complication into the play. Because of the year that the play is set in, interracial relationships are illegal in the majority of the United States and once the secret of their relationship is released, the main reason for the play is brought forth.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
- Several questions must be answered at the end of this play: Will Julia be reported and ultimately arrested? Will Mattie and October be reunited? Will Julia and Annabelle reconcile their relationship? Does Nelson survive the war? Can the group of characters grow and learn from this experience?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
- Julia's wants change slightly over the course of the play, however her largest issue of wanting to be with Herman is constant throughout the play. In the beginning of the play, she wants to be left alone and isolated from her new neighbors as she has at every past residence (me v individual(s)). She has internal arguments with herself about this decision as she becomes familiar with her neighbors, though, since she does want to build relationships but is held back by her secret (me v myself). Because of the pressure of society, Julia and her long-term boyfriend Herman are forced to sneak around and keep their relationship hidden for fear of being arrested (me v society). Along with these, she struggles with not only lying to everyone around her, but being selfish as sins against her God (me v God). Later on, she has more issues with individuals after meeting Herman's mother and sister.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band.
- The most theatrical moment in this play is when Herman's mother, Thelma, and Julia confront each other. The pure hatred shown between the two women helps the play advance forward in the main theme portrayed. Despite sharing a sickly loved one in common, the two obviously will never be able to get along and concern themselves with the race war which further complicates the lives of Herman and Julia.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
- The title of the play helps us understand the most important image within the play which is the ring on a chain that Herman gives Julia to indicate that although they cannot be legally bound in marriage, they can at least pretend until that day comes. It helps the audience understand the true love and dedication between the two and that while not accepted by society, they accept each other and that seems to be all that matters to them. Two more obvious images are Julia's hope chest and the boat tickets. The hope chest contains a few items that Julia wants to include in her future wedding, most importantly, she keeps her wedding dress in there. These items are locked away and hidden, however, which symbolizes the status of their relationship towards the outside world. Lastly, the boat tickets represent that while Herman and Julia can move to attempt to escape the prejudice, it will still follow. The boat tickets are for two African Americans and Herman states that he could trade one for a white ticket, but they will still be separate from each other on the boat and will most likely have to share separate things up North as well.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
- There are many themes in Wedding Band, a few of the more prominent themes that I noticed were loneliness, social and racial injustice, prejudice, and freedom. A few smaller themes that could be important are friendship, customs and traditions, and limitations versus opportunities.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
- Wedding Band portrays many different family situations for each of the characters. Lula and Nelson are a close-knit family, though Nelson is adopted and there is no father in the situation. Mattie, October, and Teeta are a family as well even though Mattie is legally married to another man and October is overseas working. Herman, Thelma, and Annabelle are a family even though Thelma is more concerned with their image than the actual life of her son. Lastly, Julia and Herman could be considered a family since they have been happily committed to each other for such a long time. Family is not defined by blood for most of the characters in this play, it is defined by relationship and even race at one point (when Julia refers to Mattie and Teeta as family because they are all black). The play ultimately defines "family" in many different ways and much of the dramatic action is loosely centered around this.
DEADLINE: Please complete all of your work on this play by Sunday January 28 on or before 12:01am.